Present: Susie Carney, Mark Southern, Jeff Coe, Shelly Birkwood, Jill Cyra, David Bangs, Craig Elkins, Thomas Marquis, Kendra Mills
Meeting convened at 7pm by Susie Carney
Minutes: David read minutes from the October Special Meeting (regarding trees) and from the Nomination Committee meeting. Both were approved as read.
Officers Appointed:
We discussed the officer rolls, and members volunteered to be considered for the various officer roles.
President - Mark Southern
Vice-President - Jeff Coe
Secretary - Shelly Birkwood
Treasurer - Jill Cyra
David moved and Kendra seconded that we appoint the officers as listed above. All approved. The following agreements were worked out during the process.
* All paper records will be kept by Mark Southern, rather than splitting them between the secretary's and treasurer's house.
* In accepting the position of Vice-President, Jeff Coe said he will consider running for president next year.
* Craig Elkins will serve as assistant treasurer, and will be responsible for collecting dues from homeowners.
Committees Appointed:
The Board also appointed the following committees and chairs, by consensus.
In some cases, committees may become larger as non-board members are asked to
join, but we only appointed members who have already consented to serve this
year.
Tennis: Doug McDaniel
Government Affairs: David Bangs (Chair), Jeff Coe, Thomas Marquis
Rules: David Bangs (Chair), Thomas Marquis, Craig Elkins
Park/Entrances/Landscaping: Kendra Mills
Beach: Craig Elkins (maintenance and beach patrol), with diving
assistance from Mike Quaranta
Architecture Control Committee: Jeff Coe (Chair), Don Meyer, Kendra
Mills, Thomas Marquis
Email, Web Site and Newsletter: David Bangs (editor), Kendra
(distribution). Jeff will help find lowest cost printing.
Welcome Committee: Jill Cyra (chair), Shelly Birkwood, Kendra Mills
Events Coordinator: (Easter, Fourth, Ice Cream Social, Garage Sale) -
Shelly Birkwood
Special Projects:
Park Tree Planning: Kendra Mills, Craig Elkins, Don Meyer
Mailboxes: Jeff Coe (Chair) and Thomas Marquis
Path Paving: Mark Southern
Road Repair Liaison: Shelly
Vacancy Filled:
Susie Carney noted that Doug McDaniel has resigned from the Board, having to decided not serve the final year of his term.
Mark Southern moved, and Craig Elkins seconded that we appoint Don Meyer to serve the rest of this term. In discussion, Mark noted that Don has worked constructively with the Board with regards to the Cottonwood issue, and has a history of volunteer service in scouting and other organizations. David remarked that we have heard from a number of people who have opposed the removal of Cottonwoods in the park, and that it is important for that constituency to have representation on the Board.
The motion to appoint Don passed unanimously.
Treasurer's Report:
Mark passed out copies of a "budget vs. actuals" spreadsheet for the current
fiscal year, which ends October 31st. it shows that, assuming all delinquent
dues come in and we spend exactly the budgeted amounts on all projects, we will
end the fiscal year with $11,472. This number can be regarded as our
"reserves."
Mark pointed out that KeyBank is charging $225 in annual checking account fees, whereas Bank Of America is not charging us any fees. KeyBank does pay interest on our checking account, but at current interest rates that amount is not significant. In addition, KeyBank is only open Monday through Friday, whereas BOA has Saturday hours. Mark suggested that the new treasurer contact KeyBank and request that the annual fee be waved.
Priories:
Mark mentioned that we should understand are year's priorities so that we focus appropriate attention on what is truly important, which appear to be the following:
1) Plans for cottonwoods and trees in the park must be resolved by summer.
2) Paths in the park and to Sammamish Beach club must be repaved this summer to complete the special assessment projects.
3) This year is our only opportunity to address several problems with the Covenants. We must obtain approval from 2/3 of the homeowners, so the whole board needs to be involved in helping this happen.
Project Status:
Mark reported that the new drainage system is "working famously." The ground isn't soggy in the area near the drainage work. There are still soggy spots up the park near the playground. This is a much lower priority problem, and the system was designed to be optionally expanded up the park in later years.
The "Autumn Blaze" trees were planted to replace the two cottonwoods that were removed. There is dirt mounded up near the area, which will probably cost a couple of hundred dollars to clean up.
Shelly reported that despite careful preparation, priming and hard work, the new paint is pealing off the spring toys. She is willing to seek expert advice and try again - probably using spray paint.
Mark reported that he contacted county councilman David Irons regarding lack of police patrols in the neighborhood. Since then, police have contacted Mark and stepped up patrols noticeably, with some speeding tickets issued on 192nd. Officers also offered to attend a board meeting to discuss their work.
Legal:
David reported that a settlement is being worked out with regards to the fence lawsuit, in which the Thurlkills would agree to shorten the fence toward the water in steps along the entire length of the fence. The agreement is worked up, but David hasn't heard whether it is signed and final yet. In case it doesn't work out, the summary judgment hearing has been rescheduled for sometime this spring.
Future Board Meetings:
The Board decided, by consensus, to continue holding meetings the third Wednesday of every month. That makes the following board meetings land as follows - pending checks to see whether they correspond with school breaks.
As Secretary, Shelly will finalize the dates and locations of meetings.
Feb 19 - Mark Southern's Home
Mar 19 - Shelly Birkwood's Home
April 16 - Kendra Mills' Home
Meeting was adjourned.
Minutes submitted by David Bangs, Secretary